It is that time of year when the weather starts to get nice, we air out the house and do a bit of a deeper clean. I love this time of year, the fresh air and everything feels new again. To get the stagnant, dustiness and stuffy air in your house to fresh without the chemical smell can be easy. This post will cover the Best Essential Oils for Spring Cleaning your house. Not only will your house be cleaner than ever but smell fabulous, no chemicals. I will cover which oils are best and some easy cleaning product recipes.

Let’s dive right in to which essential oils work best for which tasks.

Cleaning Surfaces

For everyday cleaning or the more deeper cleans a couple times a year, you need a good all purpose cleaning solution. By this I mean a solution that will cut through dirt, fingerprints, food debris, and build up. Your main purpose of a cleaning solution is to clean. Cleaning and disinfecting are typically two different tasks. As you will see below you want your disinfectant to work by allowing it to dry. So you would have to clean the surface first anyway. Your cleaning solution can have disinfecting and antibacterial properties but for true disinfecting you will still need to disinfect after.

Some good essential oils for cleaning are Lavender, citrus(includes Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit, Bergamot, Sweet Orange), Peppermint, Tea Tree, Lemongrass, Geranium and Rosemary.

Cleaning Solution

Here is a recipe for an effective non toxic all purpose cleaner:

Here is what you will need:

• 16oz glass spray bottle, you can also mix in a bucket if you are cleaning with a rag & bucket
• Distilled water
• Distilled/White Vinegar
• Castile Soap
• Essential oils of your choice

Mix 2 tablespoons vinegar, 2 tablespoons of castile soap, 20 – 25 drops of essential oils, Fill the rest of the bottle with distilled water. Add the water slowly as to not create too many bubbles or add castile soap last. Replace nozzle. Shake well. To use spray on surface to clean and wipe.

• You can also use this solution on floors. If you have hardwood floors omit using the vinegar.

Disinfecting Surfaces

With going through the recent pandemic disinfecting surfaces is more important than ever. We have all been bleaching and spraying everything we can get our hands on. Now is the time to properly disinfect all surfaces without burning your insides or skin. There are a number of essential oils that work as disinfectants and antibacterial. * Note disinfectants do not clean surfaces from dirt, you need to clean surfaces before disinfecting. The recipe below is for a disinfecting spray that you spray and do not wipe off.

The best disinfecting essential oils to name a few are lemon, clove, tea tree, peppermint, lavender, orange, cinnamon and thyme. You can use these solo or blend them with other essential oils to achieve a desired smell, more disinfecting or additional effects.

Disinfecting Solution/Spray

Here are the ingredients you will need:

• 16oz glass spray bottle, when working with essential oils it is always best to use glass.
• Alcohol, 70%+ isopropyl alcohol(rubbing alcohol) approximately 14 oz.
• Hydrogen Peroxide, 1/2 teaspoon
• Essential oils: 30 drops tea tree, 15 drops lemon, 15 drops lavender, 15 drops eucalyptus

Fill bottle with alcohol leaving room for other ingredients. Add 1/2 teaspoon hydrogen peroxide and the essential oils. Shake well. Spray on surfaces to be disinfected and allow to dry. If using on harder to reach surfaces or areas you do not want these ingredients to touch, spray on cloth first then wipe that surface. To check out this recipe in further detail click here.

Cleaning Glass & Mirrors

Continuing with the Best Essential Oils for Spring Cleaning you need a good glass and mirror cleaner. When your windows are clean and streak free, the whole room just feels cleaner. I struggle with this one as a dog owner whose dog loves to sit in the window. It’s hard to keep clean. Streak free clear windows are such a clean statement.

I have 2 different recipes (very similar except for one ingredient)that I go back and forth with. Both are good. It seems one works better for me in cooler weather. They both work so well that no matter when I use them, I spray the window and think oh this window isn’t that dirty – then I look at the paper towel. These recipes seem to get dirt off the glass that regular glass cleaners just miss.

Glass & Mirror Spray

Here is what you will need:

• 16oz glass spray bottle, when working with essential oils it is always best to use glass.
• Alcohol, 70%+ isopropyl alcohol(rubbing alcohol)
• Distilled Vinegar
• Distilled Water
• Cornstarch 1 tablespoon(optional)
• Essential oils: 15 – 20 drops

In the bottle mix 4oz white vinegar, 4 oz. isopropyl alcohol and 4 oz distilled water then add your essential oil of choice. I prefer Lemongrass, Lavender or a citrus blend. If you are adding the cornstarch, I add it after the first ingredient. It is much easier to mix around. After all ingredients are added shake well and replace nozzle. To use: spray surface and wipe or spray cloth and wipe.

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Dusting

Good furniture should be cared for, heck even if you do not have expensive furniture if you take care of it, it will last you longer. The chemicals in store bought cleaners are harsh on furniture. They are also harsh on our respiratory systems. Citrus essential oils work great for dusting wood furniture. Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit, Sweet Orange are all good options. Citrus essential oils are natural degreasers. These powerhouse essential oils will cut through dirt, grime grease and build up on furniture. Added benefit: the citrus scent brings a positive uplifting effect.

Dusting Spray Recipe

This dusting spray works great with just a few ingredients. It is very effective, smells greats and extremely cost efficient.

Here are the ingredients you will need:

• 16oz glass spray bottle, when working with essential oils it is always best to use glass.
• White vinegar, vinegar is great for cleaning. It cuts through dirt and can even help repel dust.(You can omit if needed)
• Fractionated coconut oil, FCO is great for attracting & trapping dust. It is also a good wood conditioner.
• Essential oil of your choice, whichever citrus you prefer. You can also get creative and blend.
• Distilled Water, using distilled water prolongs the life of your spray and makes it easier to work with.

Mix in bottle 1 cup(8 oz.) distilled water add 1/2 cup (4 oz.) white vinegar, 1/4 cup(2 oz.) fractionated coconut oil and 30 – 32 drops of essential oil. Shake well. To use: Shake well before and during use. Spray lightly on furniture or on cloth and wipe. Works best if using a microfiber cloth.

Soft Surface Cleaning

Just like your hard surfaces, your soft surfaces need cleaning too. Things like your couches, chairs, drapes, carpet. All of these you can get professionally steam cleaned but doing that once a week, even once a month can be pricey. A list of the Best Essential Oils for Spring Cleaning wouldn’t be complete without a Refresher. By using a soft surface refresher spray, it brings fresh life to those big items we use daily. I use it a couple times a week on the drapes, pillows and carpets. It really does freshen them up between cleanings and the ingredients are antibacterial, antimicrobial and smell great! This has to be the item I use the most. I use it daily on my bed pillows and bed. I also use it daily on the couch pillows and dog blankets. It is a nice refresher between laundering.

Soft Surface/Fabric Refresher Spray

Here is what you will need for my favorite Refresher Spray:

• 16oz glass spray bottle, when working with essential oils it is always best to use glass.
• Baking Soda – neutralizes odors and deodorizes
• Unscented Witch Hazel – sanitizes, evaporates quickly and gentler than alcohol
• Essential oil of your choice, there are many antibacterial essential oils to choose from. Get creative and blend.
• Distilled Water

Add a couple ounces of distilled water to bottle. Then add 2 tablespoons of baking soda. It is easier to dissolve when less full. Now add 4 ounces of witch hazel and 30 drops of antibacterial essential oils. My favorite original blend was Lavender, Frankincense and Eucalyptus. After using so often I tweaked it to be better around pets so I swapped out the Eucalyptus for Chamomile. I like the new scent it is fresh and calming. After adding your essential oils fill the rest of your bottle with distilled water. Shake well before using. I even spray this on my pillows and blankets when making my bed daily, it gives that fresh just washed feel every night when getting into bed.

Bonus Section

This section is for the ideas I had that deserved their own section. I couldn’t talk about the Best Essential Oils for Spring Cleaning without bringing up this gem of a task. This one will fill your house with a great smell. Since this is the time that we start opening and leaving our windows open, try this. After cleaning the inside of your window sills wipe them with your favorite essential oil scent. Now with the window open, every time the wind blows you will get the scent of fresh and your favorite scent wafting through your home. Or this is what I do – I make a mixture of a little coconut oil, witch hazel and essential oils. I dab the mix on the window screens, the wind blows through the screens and my house smells wonderful. Today I used Cherry Blossom, Jasmine and Lavender – divine!

Here is another little bonus for you. Want your carpets to smell like your favorite scent? Rub a little essential oil of your choice on the brush bristles of your vacuum roller. It will not be an over powering scent just a hint. As the roller spins and the bristles rub against the carpet, it will leave a little scent. A couple pointers: don’t dowse the roller and let it slightly dry before starting to vacuum. If you vacuum with it wet it will just collect debris on the bristles.

Making essential oil cleaning products for your home are easy, customizable and very cost effective. The effects of using the Best Essential Oils for Spring Cleaning will have your house smelling wonderful and clean.